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Better than Spinach: Young Minds and Muscles Benefit Equally with Activity
By Brady Delander
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Micael McHugh. Photograph courtesy of Adaptive Sports Foundation. |
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Michael McHugh was afraid to fall and hurt
himself. Growing up, those concerns held him back from almost any
kind of activity or athletic event that he perceived as daunting.
Fearof injury, falling, failing, or whatevercan be a major
deterrent for those with physical disabilities, or anyone else for
that matter, but the beauty of sport and athletic activity is that
it overcomes fear first. Once that is accomplished, the benefits of
exercise extend beyond the body to the mind and soul.
McHugh, now a high school senior in Cortland Manor, New York,
vanquished his fears by facing them head on, turning what seemed
impossible into the ordinary. "I used to stay away from sports,
take a backseat," says McHugh, a 17-year-old born with
arthrogryposis, which essentially shriveled the tendons and
inhibited muscle growth in his legs. "When I was younger I was
terrified of falling, terrified of heights. I think falling is the
scariest thing for any disabled person." Born with dislocated hips
and feet turned backward and upside-down, doctors decided to cut
the tendons and swivel his feet forward, fusing McHugh's ankles at
a 90-degree angle to his legs. He uses an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO)
on each leg and crutches to get around. Before hitting the slopes
at age nine, McHugh tended to be a wallflower.
"Skiing in particular has given me a lot more confidence," says
McHugh, who tries to ski at least once a week while the snow is
good. "Physically I'm stronger, and I have better balance. Mentally
I know that I can do anything that I set my mind to."
Mind and Body
The message for parents of children with physical disabilities
is to get them involved with some type of athletic activityand the
younger the better.
The physical gain is obvious and beneficial. "If you take a
sedentary child and turn [him] into an active child that is, of
course, good," says Pam Greene, program director for the Adaptive
Sports Foundation (ASF), Windham Mountain, New York. "Sports and
exercise can improve things like balance, flexibility, agility, and
strength, and that carries over to a better quality of life day to
day."
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Photographs courtesy of Adaptive Adventures |
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A little sweat benefits the mind as well. Ringing
the bell at the top of a rock-climbing wall or hitting a tennis
ball over the net a few times builds self-esteem and confidence,
and those feats help children with disabilities to see themselves
in a new light. "The increase in self esteem is huge, as is the
awareness of their own abilities," says Cindy Housner, executive
director of the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association, Lake
Forest, Illinois. "Sometimes a young person might not have a
certain amount of self confidence or social skills, but sports give
them the opportunity to get in the game. It allows them to pursue
life skills and become successful in the community."
Oftentimes it is the parents who are reluctant to get their kids
involved in sports, and their reason is usually the same one that
gripped a young McHugh before he learned to conquer snow-covered
mountains: fear. "Parents can be hesitant. They might be concerned
that their child will get hurt, or they just don't understand how
much good can come from getting involved," Housner says.
However, since kids are kids, even informed and motivated
parents might have difficulty convincing their child to climb into
a mono-ski or jump into the swimming pool for the first time. "So
many of the kids, especially the younger ones, they say 'no to
everything. When you first ask them if they want to ski or swim or
play basketball, they say no. I tell the parents, Please' don't
listen to your kid,'" Housner says, laughing. "There are so many
activities; there is a fit for everyone."
Something for Everyone
Every state in the United States has at least one adaptive sport
program, and the numbers are growing. While there is no way to
cover or list each organization in this article, a quick Google
search should yield plentiful results for those looking for
adaptive activities for children. The Association of Children's
Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics (ACPOC) also maintains a list of
adaptive sports, camps, fitness, and recreation resources on its
website www.acpoc.org/links .
 In addition, the Orthotic and Prosthetic
Assistance Fund Inc. (OPAF), has garnered recognition for its
"First" programs, which are held across the country and provide
children and others with disabilities a chance to try a number of
adaptive activities, including golf, tennis, and swimming.
"Socialization for these kids is equal to the physical activity,"
says Robin Burton, executive director for OPAF and coordinator of
First events across the country. "An event like this is often the
first time a child will see someone who is like them. We've been
just about everywhere, and it seems like there is always some place
else to go."
And it seems that there is no sport that cannot be adapted for a
child with disabilities. Snow skiing is prevalent in mountain
states, and the benefits involved with carving through powder at a
high rate of speed with the wind blowing in your face are
bountiful. "I was an instructor for a young cancer patient who lost
a leg, and the first comment he made after skiing was, 'That's the
fastest I've ever been able to go on my own,'" says Tom Trevithick,
educational director and equipment manager for ASF, and a
Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) level III adaptive
and alpine ski instructor. A knee-disarticulation amputee,
Trevithick understands the need for speed. "As an amputee, you feel
like you can't do as many things as the able-bodied, and you can't
really. But you put a ski on and you can move on your own, as fast
as you want."
Whether in the mountains, by the sea, or anywhere in between,
almost any sport or activity can provide equally spectacular
results. "There are a lot of activities out there that are easily
adaptive, depending on the individualrunning, cardio, swimming,
basketball, even rock climbing." Housner says.
Just as a child might turn up her nose at the sight and smell of
spinach on her dinner plate, so might she turn away from, say, a
game of basketball or a dip in the pool. Taking a turn on the dance
floor, however, might pique her interest. Those interviewed for
this article agree that any activity that holds a child's attention
is the right one. "What makes an adaptive sport successful is
finding something that the kids themselves are interested in," says
Derrick Stowell, MS, CTR, coordinator of the Amputee Coalition of
America's (ACA) Youth Activities Program (YAP).
Stowell recounted a story from the YAP camp last summer of one
youngster with upper-extremity limb differences who had decided
that his disability would prevent him from taking part. Stowell
wanted the boy to give tennis or disc golf a try, but the camper
didn't think it was possible. "He said, 'I can't do this. I don't
have any arms, so there's nothing I can do,'" Stowell says. "I
talked with him a little bit and explained that part of the reason
he was here was to try something you don't think you can do."
After a bit of trial and erroror adaptation, as Stowell saysthe
youngster found a way to toss the disc, and at the same time he
squashed his doubts about being able to participate.
The Benefits of a Bouncing Ball
Sport is holistic in its benefits, promoting physical growth as
much as helping children develop social skills and self-confidence.
An obvious question, maybe, but what is it about sports that opens
so many doors?
"Ask yourself," says Shauna Smith-Vladimiross, CTRS, a
recreational therapist for Sun Valley Adaptive Sports in Ketchum,
Idaho. "When you first picked up a sport and mastered it, how did
you feel? It felt like it changed everything... You accomplished a
personal goal. It was fun and time flew. You forgot all your
worries. For anybody, disabled or not, recreation is a great tool
that carries over into everyday life."
Smith-Vladimiross talked about a young girl with severe autism
as well as Larsen Syndromea condition characterized by congenital
dislocation of multiple joints in the body, among other issueswho
would only communicate with screams, cries, and grumbles. The Sun
Valley crew convinced the girl to try a run in a sit-ski. When she
returned the next year, she was skiing on her own. "She was
completely independent, wearing skis and boots and going downhill
standing up," Smith-Vladimiross says. "And she was communicating
more. She'd say, 'Go,' or 'boots on.' That was huge."
Call It Title X
 Mastering an individual sport is indeed an
accomplishment to be proud of, but some kids might crave an added
element of fierce competition. The Atlantabased American
Association of AdaptedSports
"" Programs (AAASP), co-founded by Bev Vaughn and Tommie
Storms, is the only state-sanctioned athletic association in the
country that serves students with physical disabilities, though
Alabama and New Jersey have begun to examine the institution of
similar systems. Vaughn and Storms have done for young athletes
with disabilities in Georgia what Patsy Mink did for female
student-athletes with the Title IX equality in act in 1972. That
means high school students in Georgia on the wheelchair basketball
team receive the same perks as the players on the able-bodied
varsity squad, including a televised state championship game.
"The kids on these teams are just like their non-disabled peers;
the uniforms, equipment, state tournaments," says Vaughn, AAASP's
executive director. "The fitness level and the confidence level
translate back to the classroom. Grades and academic performance
improves, secondary health problems decrease, and behavioral
problems decrease."
AAASP is now well-established in Georgia, benefitting 4,000
disabled student-athletes over the past ten years, but it wasn't
easy in the beginning. Funding was and remains the top priority,
but Vaughn rattled off a long list of other issues that had to be
tackled in order to let the games begin: standardized equipment;
adapted rules for each sport; and a training curriculum for
coaches. She now has her sights set on the national scene.
"The challenges are daunting, but we want to ensure that these
types of activities are available everywhere there is a need,"
Vaughn says.
Efforts like AAASP, as well as events such as the O&P
Extremity Games have lifted the curtain on what is possible for
young persons with disabilities. That fact isn't lost on McHugh,
whose eyes were opened once he challenged himself on the ski
slopes.
"I know that I can do any sport as a physically disabled person
and that any sport can be adapted for the physically disabled,"
McHugh says.
Photograph courtesy of Adaptive Adventures.
Brady Delander can be reached at 303.255.0843 or brady@opedge.com 
Table Of Contents - April 2008
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